Oklahoma Linebacker Dies Of Unknown Causes

Senior Oklahoma linebacker Austin Box, 22, was found dead in a home just outside of Oklahoma City on Thursday.Authorities have not released a cause of death, but they are investigating whether or not drugs came into play.

A 911 call was placed on Thursday morning and EMS got to the house at around 9:25am. Box was first taken to a hospital in El Reno, Oklahoma, and then he was air lifted to Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City.

The police report indicates that John Cobble III, the son of Box’s high school football coach, was performing CPR on the Sooner middle linebacker. Cobble III told a responding officer that Box was taking pain medications and that he may have overdosed.

Oklahoma Sooner coach Bob Stoops said through a statement that “We’re all shocked and heartbroken. Austin was a great young man, a great young man to coach, and a great teammate.” Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables added that Box “exemplified everything you want in a player.”

This is the second unexpected death of a college football player in a week. Aaron Douglas, a former Tennesee lineman who transferred to Alabama, was found dead last Thursday. The cause of that death is also still undetermined.